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Frustrating Peditrician visit

Ugh, just want to share. I had a frustrating visit with my 13mo old's pediatrician today. She has always seemed "fine" with my exclusive breastfeeding, although they did try to push solids on me at earlier than 6-12mo.

The first thing that annoyed me was my "informational print out" that read "At 12months it is time to switch your Toddler over from Formula to cow's milk." Just like that ! Not even a MENTION of breastmilk or breastfeeding guidance.

The 2nd thing was when she asked about his feeding habits--I explained he eats 3 meals a day plus snacks and drinks which include water, coconut water and some almond milk. I said I still breastfeed 3-5 times a day and on weekends.

She tells me he REALLY should be getting 6-8oz a day of Cow's Milk because he needs the Vitamin D and my breast milk is NOT fortified.

I have always taken the guidance from LLL that breastfeeding 3-5 times a day is all the "milk" he needs.

I just don't understand how doctors aren't armed with the tools to encourage, inform and lengthen the breastfeeding relationship for women and children.

Re: Frustrating Peditrician visit

Originally Posted by @llli*squirmama

Hmm...that does sound frustrating. Have you considered switching pediatricians? There hardly seems a point in paying someone to give you medical advice when you can't trust the advice they're giving at all.

If Vitamin D is a concern then you could give vitamin drops. Human milk has got to be better than cow's milk for human babies and the only reason the cow's milk has Vitamin D in it is because they added it afterwards (hence the term "fortified"). Has your LO's Vitamin D been tested, or are they just speculating that it's low?

I never did Vitamin D drops with my DS because I read research showing that if moms take high levels of Vitamin D (like 4000IU/day) then their milk will have enough Vitamin D for their babies, so that's what I did since it seemed easier and I was low on Vitamin D during pregnancy anyways, so it seemed like killing two birds with one stone. Of course you'd have to weight the pros and cons before going that route and I took the vitamins from the start, so he was nursing more than 3-5 times a day at that point (still is, actually). My DS hasn't had cow's milk yet and his Vitamin D level was tested at 12 months and it was good, not even borderline.

From one Maryland mom to another...

Thanks Squirmama! Yay to Maryland Moms!

He is super happy and healthy, no concern from Doc on his Vit.D levels, she was just saying that he *should* be getting Vit.D on a daily basis from Cow's milk or drops because my milk "isn't fortified"....but I think I have a very balanced diet and haven't personally had an issue with Vit. D

I do give him cottage cheese and other forms of whole milk dairy so I believe that he should be fine...i just wish there was more encouragement from the Breastfeeding perspective...

Re: Frustrating Peditrician visit

Why don't you print out research that actually gives accurate information and show it to her? I'd love to see how she would attempt to discredit AAP, WHO, UNICEF, etc... I didn't do that with my pedi because I know he's totally clueless and is a lost cause. Haha...
Of course your milk ain't fortified. It already has the perfect mix of all the nutrients lo needs! Want more vitamin D? Just go out in the sun! How do people think the human race has survived so many years on breastmilk?
I have learnt to ignore dubious advice. My pedi had asked me to feed lo formula when I still have a completely healthy supply of breastmilk. I think by now he knows I'm just gonna ignore him so he has given up trying to make me give lo anything other think breastmilk and natural food.
Few pedis nowadays are humble enough to constantly update themselves with new research. It is up to us moms to arm ourselves with knowledge and to act most sensibly!

Re: Frustrating Peditrician visit

There are plenty of cultures who do not drink cow's milk at all, ever. Cow's milk is for baby cows!! I don't understand how that fact is so often glossed over. I have no agenda -- we eat dairy in limited quantities in our household. But that's a decision for informed parents to make and it's crazy that your pediatrician is pushing it like it's a natural human stage of development -- "You have breastmilk, then you switch to milk from cows, then you walk and talk..." There are other ways to get Vitamin D, including the sun. We did give Vitamin D drops when LO was very little, because she was born in October and was bundled up on the days I did get her out for walks. Again, used my intuition and did some research and decided that was best for us.

It is tough dealing with doctors you don't entirely trust and who do/say crazy things like this. I couldn't find an integrative medicine doctor on my insurance plan, so we've just stuck with ours for now. I met with one doctor who was crazy enough that I don't even like to drive by her practice! So we like ours okay. I listen to what I agree with and do not when I don't. If I really ever disagree in a serious way, I will try to find someone else. It's okay to disagree with your pediatrician, but make sure you feel comfortable overall with their care.

From VA mommy to MD mommies as your neighbor!

Mom to my sweet little "Pooper," born 10/12/11, and "Baby Brother," born 6/23/2014, and married to heavy metal husband. Working more than full-time, making healthy vegetarian meals for family, and trying to keep up with exercise routine.

Re: Frustrating Peditrician visit

Maybe this is a teachable moment...? Next time you go in, you could mention that the handout is a hot mess and makes no mention of breastfeeding, even though there are some babies who are still nursing at a year. You could even print out the AAP's policy statement on breastfeeding, and/or the one from the WHO- they both make it clear that continuing to nurse is ideal and biologically normal, and can be continued for as long as is mutually desirable by both mom and baby...

IDK, those handouts tend to be awful and I doubt the pediatricians even bother to look at them from one year to the next! That's why I take my breastfeeding guidance from LLL and my kids, and look at my pediatrician as someone who treats my kids' illnesses.

Re: Frustrating Peditrician visit

hi,
A different perspective on this. I do give dd vitamin d drops, cause she has borderline low levels ,she has been exclusively breast fed and also did receive sporadic vitamin d drops cause she was low birth weight. She has delayed dentition, she still has no teeth at 15 months. Suprisingly when i read up some studies on vitamin D deficiency, prolonged exclusive breastfeeding did appear as a cause, but even in case of formula fed babies 1 litre of formula needs to be taken/day to get adequate levels of vitamin d.
I am an ardent advocate of breastfeeding, and i personally preferred to give her the drops over formula, and she does not take cows milk either, which is not even fortified where i come from and we are vegetarians.So for me the drops route worked.i am deficient in vitamin d too.
I think the pediatricians need to take in each individual circumstance before generally handing out information,but the general trend seems to be that of blaming breastfeeding for everything wrong,like in case of vitamin d, if the mother has insufficient exposure to sunlight or a diet deficient in vitamin d it could affect. So rather than saying breastfeeding causes so and so, the other actual reasons could be highlighted more.

Re: Frustrating Peditrician visit

Originally Posted by @llli*mommal

Maybe this is a teachable moment...? Next time you go in, you could mention that the handout is a hot mess and makes no mention of breastfeeding, even though there are some babies who are still nursing at a year. You could even print out the AAP's policy statement on breastfeeding, and/or the one from the WHO- they both make it clear that continuing to nurse is ideal and biologically normal, and can be continued for as long as is mutually desirable by both mom and baby...

IDK, those handouts tend to be awful and I doubt the pediatricians even bother to look at them from one year to the next! That's why I take my breastfeeding guidance from LLL and my kids, and look at my pediatrician as someone who treats my kids' illnesses.

Thanks Mommal, yes I think I will mention at my next visit. I was just too in shock at her blatent disregard to my desires of prolonged nursing. I had chosen this peditrician from many high reviews as well as having a Lactation Consultant ON SITE! I assumed they would be more versed on the issue. I, as well, take all my advice from LLL--who, in my opinion, carry more knowledge than doctors on the subject!

Originally Posted by @llli*lllmeg

"Your milk is not fortified?" Those are the exact words she said to you?

Yes! She said it TWICE! I also mentioned that we go for daily walks and he gets plenty of sun exposure. She wouldn't give it up!

Re: Frustrating Peditrician visit

the new research coming out is pretty clear that most of us are vit d deficient - i think of it as a tradeoff on skin cancer and living longer. one study showed that mom taking 4000 iu/day was enough to keep baby's level high enough - that's dramatically higher than what most folks take. reminds me ... i've been very lax about this lately. gotta go take my pills!

Re: Frustrating Peditrician visit

I have no problem when a doctor suggests Vitamin D supplementation for a baby or child, as that can easily be done (if needed) without interfering with breastfeeding in the least. What I have a problem with is the suggestion a mothers milk is inferior to another mammals milk and must be replaced BY that other mammals milk because it is not fortified. I find it an undermining way of putting it that suggests breastmilk is some how deficient, nutritionally. When it is NOT.

I suspect this was the doctors way of explaining something kind of complicated in the time she had. Nevertheless, words matter. A mom who was less savvy about breastfeeding or less confident in her ability to nourish her child than stonesmom may be undermined by such words.

My very breastfeeding friendly Ped also has outdated, undermining nonsense printed on the "at this age baby should...." themed hand outs. It's a multy ped office and I suspect he has no control over it.